Volkan Bozkır: EU Must Find New Formula for Visa-Free Travel

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Minister of EU, Volkan Bozkır following the meeting he held with European Commission officials in Belgium’s capital Brussels has said, “Subsequent to my talks today, I cannot say that I am hopeful about the stage reached in visa agreement.

“There is not much time ahead of us for the process to be completed by June. The commission’s coming up with a new formula is of vital importance.

“We are will to sustain our determination but we like the EU mechanisms as well to know about how critical the point we are in”.

Five criteria

Bozkır stated that they will reassess the situation and hold deliberations on what to do with the remaining five criteria on his return to Turkey.

Turkey has fulfilled most of the 72 criteria set by the EU, leaving five unmet.

The five criteria that the EU expects Turkey to take step within the scope of the readmission agreement are as follows: Fighting corruption, protection of personal data, fair cooperation with all EU member countries, tighter cooperation with the EU’s police organization Europol, and revising Anti-Terror Law (TMK).

Erdoğan: TMK cannot be revised

Nevertheless, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the past few days repeatedly stated that Turkey won’t make amendment in the TMK.

Erdoğan also had said to the EU, “We are going our way, you go yours”. (YY/TK)